The present invention relates to the field of backpacks, and in particular to an adjustable device for mounting a waist belt to a load supported on a backpack. Backpacks are in common usage for hauling heavy loads, such as for carrying supplies for outdoor recreational use. Backpacks have also become common for using in carrying babies and young children. Using carriers designed to support children, they provide the child with a comfortable and secure ride while allowing the parent Or other carrier ease of mobility and free use of the hands.
In such uses, particularly in the instance of carrying a child, it is desirable for different people to wear the backpack, to share the burden of carrying the load. People have a wide variety of physical structures. The structural differences between men and women are particularly pronounced. The position of the pack on the shoulders and the position of the waist belt relative to a frame determine the balance of the pack on the back, the amount of the load supported through the waist belt, and the general comfort or fit of the backpack. As a result, different wearers prefer different relative positions between the waist belt and frame.
It is therefore desirable to be able to adjust the backpack to accommodate personal differences and preferences. A common adjustment that is desired is in the position of the waist belt relative to the load supported on the user's back, due to differences in sizes of the users' torsos. Various backpack structures are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,318,608; 6,199,732; 5,868,292; 5,626,271; 4,369,903; 4,303,186; 4,214,685; 4,154,381; 3,831,827; and 3,653,566, Swiss patent number 2628, and Norwegian patent number 68057, which are incorporated by reference.
Several of these patents disclose packs in which the waist belt is adjustable relative to the back frame. These adjustments often require the use of tools and are designed to be made by the user when the backpack has been removed. This is time consuming and may be awkward to accomplish while a child is supported in the pack. It is therefore desirable to be able to make adjustments in the position of the waist belt relative to the pack frame while the user is wearing the pack, and particularly to make the adjustments without the use of separate tools.